330 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



appropriate by means of their leaves the gases which 

 constitute the organic materials. Hence the utility of the 

 beet-root in preparing the land for the cultivation of our 

 cereals. It is not, then, without reason that an immense 

 importance is attached to the cultivation of the beet-root, 

 as destined to exercise a grand influence upon the increase, 

 and the value of other products of the soil." 



129. The soil in which the beet-root succeeds best is a 

 clayey one, deeply cultivated and moderately tenacious. Ex- 

 cellent crops are reared on the black loamy soils in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Dunkirk. In light, sandy, and cold soils the 

 roots rarely attain a great size. It is of essential impor- 

 tance that the land be well prepared, and thoroughly freed 

 and cleaned from weeds. When it can be done, the land 

 should be prepared in autumn, ploughed deeply, and well 

 worked in early spring. The great aim in all cases is to 

 secure a clean and deeply-pulverized soil, in which the roots 

 will grow of a perfect shape, without those numerous side 

 and root filaments which characterize roots grown in badly- 

 prepared soils. If grown for sugar- making purposes, the 

 object generally is to have roots of middling size, as those 

 contain, or are said to contain for it is yet a disputed 

 point a larger percentage of sugar than those of gross 

 dimensions. Hence, as an application of manure imme- 

 diately preceding the planting of the crop tends to increase 

 the size, and give a peculiar flavour, moreover, to the roots, 

 good authorities recommend that the beet-root should follow 

 a crop well manured the preceding year. This brings us 

 to the question of its place in the rotation, on which point 

 the following is given as an authoritative rule: "Never 

 place the beet root upon a soil containing roots not yet 

 decomposed." This excludes it from following the clover, 

 lucern, or sainfoin. There are many varieties of beet-root ; 

 but the two principally cultivated are the white Silesian 

 (la better ave blanche de Silesie), and a red variety with 

 white flesh (rose a chair blanche). 



130. There are two ways of cultivating beet-root either 



